The baptistry basin, Sbeitla Photo

Photographer’s Note

The baptistry basin, Sbeitla

The baptistry basin of the Basilica of St Vitalis is quite important to get in on your visit to Sbeďtla. Its shape is quite beautiful, so are also the details. It may however be overlooked, as it is set in a separate chamber behind the apse of the church. It dates back to the end of the 6th century.

Sbeitla

Sbeitla or Sufetula (Arabic: سبيطلة‎) is a small town in north-central Tunisia. Nearby are the Roman ruins of Sufetula, containing the best preserved Forum temples in Tunisia. The ancient town, then held by the Byzantine Prefect Gregory was captured by Rashidun Caliphate's Governor of Egypt, Abdullah ibn Saad and his General Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr in 647AD and briefly served as capital of Ifriqiya.

The ancient site of Sufetula is partly incorporated into the town of Sbeitla which, almost a thousand and a half years later, succeeded to it as one of the main towns of the Higher Steppe.
Even if the place name Sufetula indicates a more ancient foundation, the vestiges so far excavated do not date back beyond the lst century AD.

The city seems to have experienced great prosperity under Septimus Severus (IInd-IIIrd century) and into Diocletian’s reign (285-305). Most of the buildings visible today date to that period : houses, forum, temples, baths, triumphal gate, theatre etc.
In the absence of inscriptions to shed light on the different phases of the city’s past, the discovery of later vestiges, from the late Empire or the Vandal and Byzantine periods, reflect the great vitality of the Christian community in the city. It gained even more importance on the eve of the Arab conquest, in 647, which put a stop to Africa’s membership in the Christian world, signalling its adhesion to the Islamic empire, after the defeat of the Patriarch Gregory who ruled the kingdom that had distanced itself from Constantinople and had made Sufetula its capital instead of Carthage. (Source: patrimoinedetunisie.com)

besnard, swiatopelk777, ymrk, snunney, pauloog, vasilpro, saxo042, leo61, leonorkuhn, Cretense, bona, JanD, TopGeo, Gerrit, paura trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

besnard (30920) 2009-10-04 1:39

Bonjour George
Une très belle vue plongeante sur ces vestiges. Le format est bien choisi et les couleurs douces. Bravo.
Merci pour le partage et bon dimanche.
Nicole

swiatopelk777 (8910) 2009-10-04 1:40

Hi George!
Wonderful shot. Good POV. Very interesting ruins. Amazing background. Perfect focus.
Greetings from Warszawa!

ymrk (8969) 2009-10-04 1:52

you had changed the color of frame:D
You'd looked on the very great angle that had been very attractive.
Have a nice sunday,

Yağmur

pauloog (6703) 2009-10-04 1:55

Hello George,
A fine view in soft light and fine play of shadows, and givign a perfect overview of the site with good depth.
Regards,
Paul

snunney (35200) 2009-10-04 1:58

Hello George,
Good use of the vertical format in this fine composition. You have created an interesting juxtaposition between the foreground basin and the church in the background, whereby the ruined column is linked by a hidden diagonal thread to the columns on the church façade. Good colours and sharpness.

lousat (15768) 2009-10-04 2:31

Hi George,the position of the light is fantastic and the perspective too.I never been in this tunisian corner and your pic help me for the future...especially when so nices and rich of information like yours! Thanks another time for your precious work,have a nice Sunday,Luciano

mauro61 (16048) 2009-10-04 2:34

ciao George,
il POV scelto rende al meglio la bellezza di questa zona archeologica e la luce del sole ne aumenta la bellezza dei colori, ben fatto.
buona domenica
maurizio

jurek1951 (26020) 2009-10-04 2:40

Hi George,
What a nice historical place.
Wonderful architectural details and perspective.
Great note.
Have a nice days

vasilpro (9134) 2009-10-04 2:53

Hello George,
Another excellent composition from Tunysia, a very nice presentation from a very well chosen POV, excellent light management, very good DOF, clarity and sharpness.
Have a nice Sunday, Vasilis.

ryno (4615) 2009-10-04 3:09

Hi George, this is a nicely-chosen perspective, making the most of the background ruins and giving the viewer a good over-all feel for the atmosphere of the place. Good detail visible in the soft light.
Regards
Ryno

saxo042 (16038) 2009-10-04 3:16

Hi Georg,
An interesting note and an interesting picture, thus a great TE entry! Particularly I like the very warm colours here and the excellent depth of this scenery. Sharp and good foreground details and a really fine background!
Kind regards
Gunnar

leo61 (43448) 2009-10-04 3:33

HI George!

Good shot with an interesting fore-and background.
Excellent composition with fine details to view.
Regards,leo

leonorkuhn (13847) 2009-10-04 5:19

Hi George,

I've never seen anything like this, the baptistry basin is magnificent. It's amazing to imagine that she has been built around for 14 centuries. Excellent composition, including other ruins, which gives good depth to the image. The light is very good.

Greetings
Leonor

jlbrthnn (38527) 2009-10-04 5:42

Hello George,
It is rather extraordinary to see a symbolic system place like this one, in if good state of conservation, in Roman ruins in this place. I appreciate much this image, clear clear, framed well. Congratulations.
Have a nice sunday.
Cordially.
Joël

npecanhuk (14364) 2009-10-04 5:51

Hello George!
This photograph is definitely very, very interesting!
It's also pretty attractive with excellent vertical format, pov, sharpness, exposure, dof and colors!
The composition is the real highlight in this image!
TFS - congratulations!
Have a great week!
Neyvan

ahmetgedikli (22010) 2009-10-04 6:46

Superb compo! Very good POV, depth and fine details. Well done!
Have a nice sunday.
ahmetgedikli

Cretense (56688) 2009-10-04 7:41

Hello George!

Very impressive composition, very impressive elements from the foreground to the background, excellent framing and depth of field! Flawless light management, beautiful colours!

Hercules

JanD (14977) 2009-10-04 7:56

Howdy Budapestman!
Superb vertical image. Perfect sharpness and focus. Nice light and colors. Good POV and frame.
Regards.

bona (2403) 2009-10-04 8:02

George, what a so beautiful place. So old architecture I have no worlds.
Thanks for share.
Andre

jimmyjimmy (538) 2009-10-04 9:01

Hello George

Just a magnificent image. Thanks for the history of this place. Nice work

Regards
Jimmy

TopGeo (21999) 2009-10-04 11:30

Hi George! It is a infrequent depiction of this point him I have not seen other time! Splendidly given with the remainder place of antiquities there Splendid picture and perspective..
Bravo
Thanks for sharing
Georgios

COSTANTINO (22988) 2009-10-04 12:54

Hello
Thanks for your useful notes about the baptistry
basin of the Basilica of St Vitalis,nice photo
with many architectural details
Good pov with very interesting ruins
regards
Costantino

jjcordier (25036) 2009-10-04 22:02

George
Superbe composition avec une grande profondeur de champ et qui met en vedette ce splendide bassin (qui n'avait pas encore été mis à jour lors de ma visite...déjà très lointaine.
Amicalement
JJ

Gerrit (36035) 2009-10-05 4:43

Hi George,
wonderful place and very well maintained ruins.
Great composition in beautiful light.
regards, Gerrit

paura (38864) 2009-10-05 6:36

Jorge,
Nitidez muito boa para mostrar esse interessante local em fotografia de bom enquadramento. Lindo trabalho, amigo.

Abraço

Paulo

john1 (2251) 2009-10-05 10:56

Hi George,

Excellent vertical framing, details are simply wonderful.
You chose a good angle for your membership and information is very rich in imformation.
Thank you for sharing.
john.

delpeoples (6439) 2009-11-18 1:47

Hi George, I had a bit of time today to look over some of your older posts. Jeez they're good! The texture of the mosaics is what immediately drew my eye to this particular photo. I like the sandy tones and the light in the FG too. It's amazing after so many years that something can be almost as intact and colourful as the day it was made. TFS, Lisa